Stream: Stacy Barthe f. John Legend, “No Strings Attached”

Songwriter turned solo standout Stacy Barthe struck out on her own because she writes music too dark and personal for pop stars. "No Strings Attached" is a strange kind of love song about a connection brought on by boredom and malaise. Over a thick, steady-kicking reggae beat by Jamaican-born producer Supa Dups, Barthe sounds cynical and sweet at once, half-tied to lust and half over it entirely. The track comes from nine-song EP In the InBetween, out now. Her forthcoming album PS: I Love You, will feature more Caribbean-flavored tracks from Supa Dups, and most promising, a bunch of happy songs written after Barthe began a new relationship.